[319] "Then, chieftain, I shall make a simile for you; for by means of a simile some sensible persons here understand the meaning of what is said. Once upon a time, chieftain, a great caravan of a thousand carts travelled from a country in the east to a country in the west. As it went along, it quickly used up the grass, firewood, water, and green foliage. Now in that caravan there were two caravan leaders, one with five hundred carts and one with five hundred carts. Then it occurred to those caravan leaders: 'This is a great caravan of a thousand carts. Wherever we go, the grass, firewood, water, and green foliage are quickly used up. Suppose we were to divide this caravan into two — five hundred carts on one side and five hundred carts on the other.' They divided that caravan into two: five hundred carts on one side and five hundred carts on the other.
"One caravan leader, having loaded up much grass, firewood, and water, set the caravan going. When the caravan had travelled for two or three days, they saw a dark man with red eyes, with a quiver strapped on, garlanded with kumuda (white water-lily) flowers, his clothes wet and his hair wet, coming from the opposite direction in a fine chariot with mud-smeared wheels. Seeing him, he said: 'Sir, where do you come from?' 'From such-and-such a country.' 'Where will you go?' 'To the country named so-and-so.' 'Sir, has a great rain-cloud poured down in the desert ahead?' 'So it is, sir: a great rain-cloud has poured down in the desert ahead; the tracks are sprinkled with water, and there is much grass, firewood, and water. Discard, sirs, your old grass, firewood, and water; go quickly, quickly with lightly-laden carts — do not tire the draught teams.'
"Then that caravan leader addressed the caravaneers: 'Sirs, this man says: "A great rain-cloud has poured down in the desert ahead; the tracks are sprinkled with water, and there is much grass, firewood, and water. Discard, sirs, your old grass, firewood, and water; go quickly with lightly-laden carts — do not tire the draught teams." Discard, sirs, the old grass, firewood, and water; set the caravan going with lightly-laden carts.' 'Yes, sir,' those caravaneers replied to that caravan leader, and having discarded the old grass, firewood, and water, they set the caravan going with lightly-laden carts. At the first caravan campsite they saw no grass, firewood, or water; at the second campsite …; at the third campsite …; at the fourth campsite …; at the fifth campsite …; at the sixth campsite …; at the seventh campsite too they saw no grass, firewood, or water, and every one of them fell to ruin and disaster. Whatever humans or beasts there were in that caravan, that yakkha, a non-human being, devoured them all; only the bones were left.
"When the second caravan leader knew: 'That caravan has now long since gone out ahead,' he loaded up much grass, firewood, and water and set the caravan going. When the caravan had travelled for two or three days, they saw a dark man with red eyes, with a quiver strapped on, garlanded with kumuda flowers, his clothes wet and his hair wet, coming from the opposite direction in a fine chariot with mud-smeared wheels. Seeing him, he said: 'Sir, where do you come from?' 'From such-and-such a country.' 'Where will you go?' 'To the country named so-and-so.' 'Sir, has a great rain-cloud poured down in the desert ahead?' 'So it is, sir: a great rain-cloud has poured down in the desert ahead; the tracks are sprinkled with water, and there is much grass, firewood, and water. Discard, sirs, your old grass, firewood, and water; go quickly, quickly with lightly-laden carts — do not tire the draught teams.'
"Then that caravan leader addressed the caravaneers: 'Sirs, this man says: "A great rain-cloud has poured down in the desert ahead; the tracks are sprinkled with water, and there is much grass, firewood, and water. Discard, sirs, your old grass, firewood, and water; go quickly, quickly with lightly-laden carts — do not tire the draught teams." But this man, sirs, is neither our friend nor a blood relative; how shall we proceed out of trust in him? The old grass, firewood, and water are not to be discarded by you. Set the caravan going with the goods just as they were brought; we shall not discard our old stock.' 'Yes, sir,' those caravaneers replied to that caravan leader, and they set the caravan going with the goods just as they had been brought. At the first caravan campsite they saw no grass, firewood, or water; at the second campsite …; at the third campsite …; at the fourth campsite …; at the fifth campsite …; at the sixth campsite …; at the seventh campsite too they saw no grass, firewood, or water; and they saw that other caravan which had fallen to ruin and disaster; and of whatever humans or beasts there had been in that caravan, they saw only the bones — they had been devoured by that yakkha, a non-human being.
"Then that caravan leader addressed the caravaneers: 'Sirs, this caravan has fallen to ruin and disaster, just as happens with that foolish caravan leader as guide. Well then, sirs, discard whatever goods of little value there are in our caravan, and take whatever goods of great value there are in that caravan.' 'Yes, sir,' those caravaneers replied to that caravan leader, and having discarded the goods of little value in their own caravan and taken the goods of great value in that caravan, they crossed over that desert safely, just as happens with a wise caravan leader as guide.
"In the same way, chieftain, you, being foolish and incompetent, will fall to ruin and disaster, seeking the other world unwisely, just like that man, the caravan leader. And those who will think you worth listening to and worth trusting, they too will fall to ruin and disaster, just like those caravaneers. Relinquish, chieftain, that evil view! Relinquish, chieftain, that evil view! Do not let it be for your harm and suffering for a long time!"
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.